Well, Black Friday is officially behind us and–surprises of surprises–people actually bought MORE this year than last year. Since books are an easy buy, I thought I’d pass along some book ideas in the children’s genre that seem to have been a hit. Also, you can get these books online if you’re like me and think malls/outlets/mass merchandise discounters are where energy, time and holiday spirit go to die:

1) How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long and David Shannon. This book is terrific for the young reader who wonders what it’d be like to shadow pirates for a day–and have no reading material beyond a treasure map.

2) The Girls Book: How to be the Best at Everything, by Juliana Foster. If you think a girl you know would love to know how to be annoying in an elevator, knit with just her fingers, or how to explain why she was late to school, this is the book for you.

3) The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden. This book is for the boy who needs to know how to place a splint, how to make fireproof cloth, and how to flee the scene of a broken window. This is for the boy who’s either a budding MacGyver or a budding criminal.

4) The Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein. You can’t go wrong with a man who writes such pithy and spot-on poems such as:

I know a way to stay friends forever
There’s really nothing to it
I tell you what to do
And you do it.

5) Oh the Thinks You Will Think!, by Dr. Seuss. Another one you can’t go wrong with–and much, MUCH better than Oh the Places You’ll Go! Here’s a sampling:

Think! Think and wonder.
Wonder and think.
How much water
can fifty-five elephants drink?

There aren’t enough critical thinkers in the world, and this will get them on the right path.

Back Issues

Because of the better community-building tools over at LiveJournal (read: We want more commenters people!), we’ve moved our address. We’re now at: http://thefiverandoms.livejournal.com We officially launch May 1 with an agent interview and hook contest; over the next week, we’ll … Continue reading →

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